Printing press



F. T. WOOD PRINTING PRESS March 11, 1930.

' Filed July 10, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor: Frank]! ood by Ganja, d31

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March 11, 1930. F. T. WOOD 1,7 7

PRINTING PRESS Filed July 10, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 fifi 5/60 Inventor: 07 \79 Franz: T Wood,

March 1 1, "1930.

F. T. WOOD I 1,750,557

PRINTING PRESS Filed July 10. 1928 4 SheetsSheet 3 5e 56 75 74 57 Q 55 60 iv;

March 11, 1930. F. T. WOOD 1,750,557

PRINTING PRESS Filed July 10, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mar. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK '1. WOOD, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK PRINTING PRESS Application filed July 10,

This invention relates to two-revolution, cylinder and bed presses, and aims to provide means for the conversion of a standard onecolor press of this class to a two-color press. The particular type of press selected for illustration is the well known and widely used Kelly press, which is the subject matter of several patents, including patents to WVilliam M. Kelly, 1,096,036, dated May 12, 1914; 1,336,841, dated April 13, 1920; 1,339,654, dated May 11, 1920; and 1,227 ,450, dated May 22, 1917, to which reference may be had for such details as are not shown herein.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of one specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a Kelly press, in connection with which one embodiment of my invention is shown;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of a portion of the same on an enlarged scale, and partly in vertical section, as viewed from the right-hand side of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the irregular line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 4; and

Figs. 7 to 10, inclusive, are diagrammatic views, illustrating the cycle of operations.

Referring to the drawings, and to the embodiment of the invention which has been se lected for illustration, there is shown a press having a frame (see Fig. 1) comprising a base 10 and ways 11 for a reciprocating typebed 12 (see Fig. 2).

Secured to the base on opposite sides there of (see Fig. 1) are upwardly projecting brackets 13, which support a pivoted feed board 14, having associated therewith feed tapes 15. The front end of the feed board is normally supported by adjustable stop screws 16, but it may be raised to some such 1928. Serial No. 291,526.

position as that shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 to afford access to inking mechanism therebeneath, including a group of inking rollers 17, supported on brackets 18 on opposite sides of the base, and cooperating with an ink plate 19 (see Fig. 4) secured to the reciprocating type-bed.

The brackets 13 also afford pivotal support for arms 20 (see Fig. 1), which are normally arranged immediately above the side p0rtions of the feed board 14, but which may be elevated to some such position as that shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, when the feed board is to be elevated for access to the inking mechanism. These arms are rigidly connected together to swing as one, and each is provided with a foot- 21 (see Fig. 4) normally resting upon the feed board 14. These arms carry several devices, including detector mechanism which will be described hereinafter.

As each sheet is fed forward on the feed board, its front edge engages pivoted front register stops 22, which are lifted as the sheet is seized by grippers 23 carried by an impre sion cylinder 24, which makes two revolutions for each reciprocation of the bed. The gripper operating mechanism is the subject matter of the aforesaid Patents 1,227,450 and 1,339,654, and is not shown herein because its construction and mode of operation are well known and not necessary to a proper understanding of the present invention. The gap between the feed board and the impression cylinder is bridged by fingers 25 which, in accordance with my invention are mounted on a rock-shaft 26, by which they are raised and lowered .as hereinafter described.

The impression cylinder is secured to a shaft 27, the latter being mounted in bearing blocks 28 (see Fig. 4), which are mounted to slide vertically in ways presented by brackets 29. The impression cylinder must be raised at the proper time, so that the type on the bed shall not engage the cylinder during the reverse movement of the bed. The mechanism for raising and lowering the cylinder is disclosed in the foresaid Patent No. 1,096,036, but will now be described as a knowledge of it is necessary to a proper understanding of the present invention, particularly as the mechanism has been somewhat modified in accordance with my invention, as will presently appear.

Springs 30, disposed beneath the bearing blocks 28, tend to more the latter, and consequently the impression cylinder, upwardly. Downward movement of the bearing blocks, in opposition to the springs, is accomplished by cross-bars 31 (best shown in Fig. 5), which are connected by rods with low er cross-bars 33 (see Fig. 1). The upward pressure exerted by the springs can be adjusted by screws 34, fully shown and described in Patent No. 1,096,086. Usual toggles 35, also disclosed in said patent, are interposed between the adjusting screws and the lower cross-bars, are operated by links 36, a lever 37, link 38, cam icver 39, and cam 40, all of which are fully shown and described in said patent. When these toggles are straightened to the position shown in Fig. l, the impression cylinder is drawn down, while, on the other hand, when the toggles are open or broken, the springs 30 are allowed to raise the impression cylinder to a position where it will not be engaged by the type on the bed.

Rotation of the impression cylinder is accomplished by driving mechanism fully disclosed in the aforesaid Patent 1,096,036. So much of this driving mechanism as is necessary to a proper understanding of the present invention is shown herein (see Fig. 1), the same comprising a countershaft 41, to which is secured a gear 42 meshing with and driving an idler 43 mounted on a stud 44, said idler gear meshing with a gear 45 secured to the shaft 27 of the impression cylinder. The gear 45 is utilized-also for the driving of the auxiliary printing mechanism presently to be described. The type-bed reciprocating mechanism is neither shown nor described herein, as it is fully disclosed in Patent 1,336,841, and need not be repeated here, as

its functions and mode of operation are well known. It is sufficient to say that the bed makes one complete reciprocation to two revolutions of the impression cylinder, that the impression is made during one stroke of the bed, and that the impression cylinder is elevated so that it will not contact with the type during the reverse stroke of the bed.

The auxiliary printing mechanism will now be described, reference being had at first to Fig. 4. An auxiliary type carrier, herein a sector 46 of a cylinder, is secured to a shaft 47, as by a set-screw 48 and key or feather 49, the latter, in the present example, being slidably received in a keyway 50 in the shaft, thereby to permit of adjustment of the sector axially within certain limits determined by the detector mechanism, the front register mechanism, the sheet supporting fingers and other factors. The type carrier suitable provision for the attachment of type thereto, as by the provision of grooves 51 in its sides to receive tongues 52 presented by a clamp 53. The type may occupy the whole or any part of the sector, the circumferential length of which is preferably the same as that of the impression surface. Herein, the type is a numbering machine 54 of common form, though it should be understood that the type may be of any suitable character and dimensions. The inking of the type may be accomplished by appropriate inking instru mentalities, herein a set of inking and inkdistributing rolls 55, 56 and 57, mounted on shafts 58, 59 and 60, respectively.

In this embodiment, the auxiliary type carrier, with its inking mechanism, is directly above the impression cylinder, and is mounted to move vertically with the latter. This is conveniently accomplished by mounting these mechanisms in a frame-work which will now be described, reference being had at first to Fig. 5. The brackets 29, which afford guideways for the bearing blocks 28, are surmounted by deep caps 61, which are substituted for the relatively low, shallow caps disclosed in Patent 1,096,036. These caps are chambered, as at 62, to provide a working clearance for the upper cross-bars 31, as is the case with the caps of the patent, but the rods 32, instead of terminating in heads just above the cross-bars, are provided with collars 63, and are prolonged upwardly beyond said collars, and, as shown in Fig. 4, are provided with reduced portions 64, which extend through split bearing boxes 65, herein conveniently secured to the rods as by providing the latter with screw-threads 66 to receive nuts 67 and 68 above and below the boxes.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the boxes contain bearing bushings 69, which receive reduced portions 70 of the shaft 47: Herein, these bushings are eccentrics (see Fig. 4), so that by turning them in their boxes, the shaft may be raised to prevent contact of the type 54 on the carrier 46 with the impression cylinder 24. Turning of the bushings is conveniently accomplished by providing them with arms 71 (best shown in Fig. 4) connected by links 72 with hand levers 73, suitably secured as by keys 74 to a shaft 75 mounted in bearing brackets 76, which also provide bearings for the ink-roll shaft 58. These brackets are secured to horizontal bars 77, which afford bearings for the ink roll shafts 59 and 60. Referring now to Fig. 2, the bars 77 are conveniently supported on the shaft 47, and partake of its vertical movement under the i11- fiuence of the eccentric bushings, but do not partake of its horizontal movement. Herein, there is secured to each bar 77 a slide 78 guided vertically by the rods 64, and connected to a collar 79 on the shaft, by a suitable articulated connection such as studs 80 (see Fig. 3) extending through horizontally elontion to the latter.

' gears corres gated holes 81 in an upward and lateral prolongation of the collar.

Referring again to Fig. 4, it will be remembered that the weight of the impression cylinder 24 is sustained by the springs 80, which yield and allow the cylinder to descend under the influence of the toggles 35 (Fig. 1). It will also be remembered that the auxiliary printing mechanism is mounted on the rods 32; hence it follows that the additional load of the auxiliary printing mechanism is thrown onto the rods. Since the springs 30 are designed to carry only the load of the impression cylinder, its bearing blocks and the rods, it is evident that unless the strength of the springs is to be increased, they should be aided by other springs. To this end, I have provided auxiliary springs 82, interposed between the caps 61 and the bearing blocks 65, to carry the additional load.

lVhen the impression between the impression cylinder and the auxiliary type carrier takes place, there is a tendency for the former to be displaced downwardly with rela- Onc convenient means for preventing this downward displacement of the impression cylinder is illustrated in Fig. 5, and comprises stops, herein bars 83 resting on collars 84 secured to the rods 32, said bars extending beneath and in engagement with the bearing blocks 28, which carry the impression cylinder shaft. These bars, therefore, constitute stops which maintain the spacing of the impression cylinder and the auxiliary type carrier.

Referring now to Fig. 1, rotation of the auxiliary type carrier is conveniently accomplished by securing to the shaft at? a gear 85, which meshes with and is driven by the gear 45. The ratio of the gear 85 to the gear to is two to one, and tie pitch circles of the pond with the respective diameters of the auxiliary type surface and the in pression cylinder.

Referring toFig. 4, it will be remembered that the feed board i l and the arms 20 must be raised to afford access to the inking mechanism therebeneath. The auxiliary type carrier is made in the form of a sector, and must be turned to the correct position to permit the feed board and arms to be raised. But this alone is not enough,-the detector mechanism, as will presently appear, projects beyond the front edge of the feed board, and, in accordance with my invention, is specially constructed and arranged to permit it to be retracted. Each sheet, as it passes from the feed board to the impression cylinder, strikes and lifts feelers 86., which are mounted on pivots 87 on arms 88, the latter being secured as by set screws 89 to a rock-sh aft 90, which has bearings in the arms 20. There is also secured to this rock-shaft an arm 91, to which is pivoted a link 92 which forms a part of the usual stop or throw-off mechanism of the Kelly press, the link having a horizontal reciprocatory motion, and controlling a tripping mechanism (not shown herein but shown in Patent 1,386,841) by which, if the link is prevented from reciprocating, the press is stopped or the impression is thrown off.

If, for any reason, no sheet engages the feelers 86 during any given cycle, they are locked against upward movement by reason of the fact that each feeler is provided on its rear face with a tooth 93, which en ages beneath an abutment 94, against the front face of which the feeler rests, except when it is thrust forwardly and upwardly by a sheet passing therebeneath. When the feeler is thus locked, the link 92 cannot reciprocate, and the tripping mechanism is operated to stop the press or to throw off the impression.

The detector mechanism, as thus far described, is substantially like that heretofore used in the Kelly press, with certain exceptions which will now be noted. Heretofore, the feeler fingers have been carried by short arms on a rockshaft close to the front edge of the feed board. But in accordance with my invention,-t-hesc armsare long and the rockshaft is placed far to .the rear of the front edge of the board, in a position out of the path of the auxiliary type carrier. Moreover, in accordance with my invention, the arms 88 which carry the feeler fingers can be raised to some such position as that shown in dotted lines in 2, by loosening the set screws 89.

However, when the arms 88 and feelers 86 are thus raised, the abutment 94 is still to be considered. In accordance with my invention, this abutment can be moved rearwardly to a position where in does not project beyond the front edge of the feedboard, and hence presents no obstacle to the lifting of the latter. This is conveniently accomplished in the present example by making each abutment 94 a part of an arm 95, slotted at 96 to receive the arm 88, and secured as by a setscrew 97 to a transverse rod 98. This rod is supported by slides 99, which are mounted to slide on guides 100, one at each side of the machine and secured as at 101 and 102 to the adjacent arm 20. Referring now to 6, in which one slide and its guide are shown in cross-section, the slide is normally secured to its guide as by a set-screw 103. lVhen these set-screws are loosened, the slides and the detector mechanism which they carry can be moved rearwardly a sutlicient distance to permit the feed-board to be raised without striking any part of the auxiliary printing mechanism. The length of the slots 96 is ample to permit of this retraction of the arms 95 rela tivelv to the arms 88. Though the arms 95 are secured to the rod 98, they are partly sustained by the rockshaft 90 on which they rest.

In the press as heretofore constructed, the fingers 25 which bridge the gap between the front edge of the feed-board 14 and the impression cylinder 24 are rigidly mounted, but in accordance with my invention, as heretofore stated, these fingers are secured to a rockshaft 26, by which they may be raised and lowered. This rockshaft is mounted in lugs 104 on the brackets 29. Rocking movement of the shaft is conveniently accomplished by securing thereto a lever 105 carrying a cam-roller 105 adapted to be engaged periodically by a cam 107 secured to the shaft 47. hen the cam-roller is not engaged by the cam, the lever 105 is held by a spring 108 against a stop 109.

The operation of the fingers 25 is illus trated in Figs. 7 to 10, inclusive. Fig. 10 shows a sheet A momentarily arrested by the front register stops 22, and resting upon the fingers 25, which are now elevated to clear a previously fed sheet, which has been printed by the type on the bed 12, and is being carried by the now depressed impression cylinder 24 onto delivery tapes 110. After the rear edge of the sheet has passed the fingers 25, the impression cylinder rises (see Fig. 7), and the fingers guide the front edge of the sheet A to the grippers 23 by which it is seized, and at the same instant, the stops 22 are lifted. At this point, it should be noted that the cam 107 is caused toengage the cam roller 106, by reason of the fact that the cam is lowered by the shaft 47 to which it is secured. In fact, the cam 107 might be simply a complete disk concentric with the shaft 47, were it not for the fact that it would be in the way of the feed-board 14 when the latter is lifted.

In Fig. 7, as previously stated, the impression cylinder is up and the type bed is travelling on its idle movement forward (toward the right). The impression by the type on the auxiliary type carrier is about to commence, and this will happen as soon as the surface of the type 54 reaches a plane containing the axes of the shafts 27 and 47. Buthere it should be noted that the fingers 25 are holding the sheet elevated somewhat above the surface of the impression cylinder, and furthermore that the path of the type face commences to intersect the plane of the paper at a point X, a considerable distance rearwardly of this plane. The sheet should, therefore, be depressed below the path of the type just as soon as the paper leaves the front edge of the feed board; otherwise, premature contact of the type with the paper will produce a blurred impression or smutch. One convenient sheet depressing means is a rotating presser 111 (see Fig. 2),

' carried by the shaft 47, and herein provided with a resilient surface for contact with the paper. Such surface, in the present example, is presented by radially disposed bristles 112 on the presser. The radius of this surface should be slightly greater than the radius of the type face.

Fig. 8 shows the impression cylinder, as well as the auxiliary type carrier, lowered, and the type-bed travelling rearwardly about to commence the impression of the type on the bed with the sheet on the cylinder. Fig. 8 also shows the fingers 25 lowered. This is important, as otherwise the sheet would be hanging from the fingers and the making of a clean, clear impression by type on this part of the auxiliary type carrier would be impossible. Fig. 9 shows the impression cylinder lowered, and the lower impression continuing, but the rear edge of the sheet has now passed the fingers 25, and the latter and the stops 22 are now in readiness to receive another sheet.

Having thus described one embodiment of the invention, but without limiting myself thereto, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is 1. In a printing press, the combination of a printing couple including an impression cylinder and a type-carrier, the former being above the latter, an auxiliary type carrier coacting with said impression cylinder above the latter, a feed board along which a sheet is fed toward said'impression cylinder, a support which supports said sheet between said feed board and said impression cylinder, and means for moving said support toward and from said impression cylinder.

2. In a printing press, the combination of a rechorocating type-bed, a two-revolution impression cylinder above and coacting with said type-bed, a one-revolution type-cylinder above and coacting with said impression cylinder, a feed board along which a sheet is fed toward said impression cylinder, a support which supports said sheet between said feed board and said impression cylinder, and means for moving said support toward and from said impression cylinder.

3. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating type-bed, a two-revolution impression cylinder above and coacting with said type-bed, a type-cylinder above and coacting with said impression cylinder, a vertically reciprocating carrier for said cylinders, a feed board along which said sheet is fed toward said impression cylinder, a support which supports said sheet between said feed board and said impression cylinder, and means for utilizingmovement of said carrier to raise and lower said support.

4. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating type-bed, a two-revolution impression cylinder above and coacting with said type-bed, a type-cylinder above and c0- acting with said impression cylinder, means for moving said type-cylinder and said impression cylinder toward and from said typebed, and means to cause a sheet to receive its first impression from said type cylinder and its second impression from said type bed.

5. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating type-bed, a tworevolution impression cylinder coacting with said type-bed, a type cylinder coacting with said impression cylinder, means for moving said type-cylinder and said impression cylinder toward and from said type-bed, and means to cause a sheet to receive its first impression from said type cylinder and its second impression from said type bed. 6. The combination with a single-impres sion printing press having a reciprocating type-bed, a two-revolution impression cylinder coacting with said type-bed, a reciprocating carrier for said impression cylinder, and means for moving said impression cylinder toward and from said type-bed; of a second impression attachment for converting said press to a two-impression machine, said attachment comprising a type-cylinder coacting with said impression cylinder, and means for attaching said type cylinder to said carrier.

7. In a printing'press, the combination of an impression cylinder, a reciprocating typebed and a type-cylinder on opposite sides, respectively, of and coacting with said impression cylinder, a support which supports a sheet on its way to said impression cylinder, and means to elevate said support to allow the sheet carried by said impression cylinder to pass beneath said support.

8. In a printing press, the combination of an impression cylinder, a reciprocating typebed and a type-cylinder on opposite sides, respectively, of and coacting with said impression cylinder, means for moving said impression cylinder and said type cylinder toward and from said type-bed, a support which supports a sheet on its way to said impression cylinder, and means to cause said support to move toward and from said impression cylinder.

9. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating typebed, an impression cylinder coacting with said type-bed, sheet detector mechanism coacting with said impression cylinder, and a type-cylinder coacting with said impression cylinder adjacent the point where said sheet detector mechanism coacts with said impression cylinder.

10. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating type-bed, an impression cylinder coacting with said type-bed, sheet detector mechanism coacting with said impression cylinder, and a type-cylinder coacting with said impression cylinder adjacent the point where said sheet detector mechanism coacts with said impression cylinder, said detector mechanism and said type cylinder being relatively arranged to permit said detector mechanism to be moved toward and from said impression cylinder.

11. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating type-bed, an impression cylinder coacting with said type bed, a sheet detector mechanism including a frame pivoted to swing toward and from said impression pivoted to swing toward and from said impression cylinder, and a one-revolution typecylinder coacting with said impression cylinder, said feed board and said type cylinder being constructed and arranged to permit said feed board to be swung from said impression cylinder.

13. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocatory type-bed, a two-revolution impression cylinder coacting with said typebed, a feed board along which sheets are fed to said impression cylinder, said board being pivoted to swing toward and from said impression cylinder, and a one-revolution typesector coacting with said impression cylinder.

14:. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocatory type-bed, an impression cylinder coacting with said type-bed, a sheet detector mechanism coacting with said impression cylinder, a type cylinder coacting with said impression cylinder, and a support on which said sheet detector mechanism may be moved to retract the same from its normal position.

15. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating type-bed, a two-revolution impression cylinder coacting therewith, an auxiliary typecarrier coacting with said impression cylinder above the latter, a feed board on which sheets are fed to said impression cylinder, fingers which support the sheet between the front edge of said feed board and said impression cylinder, and means to move said fingers and said impression cylinder toward and from said type-bed.

16. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating type-bed, a two-revolution impression cylinder coacting therewith, an auxiliary type-carrier coacting with said impression cylinder above the latter, a feed board on which sheets are fed to said impression cylinder, fingers which support the sheet between the front edge of said feed board and said impression cylinder, means to move said auxiliary type carrier and said impression cylinder toward and from said type bed, and means to move said fingers toward and from said impression cylinder.

17. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating type-bed, a two-revolution impression cylinder coacting therewith, an

inc

sald feed board and said impression cylinder,

auxiliary type-carrier coacting with said'impression cylinder above the latter, a feed board on which sheets are fed to said impression cylinder, fingers which support the sheet between the front edge of said feed board and said impression cylinder, means to move said auxiliary type carrier and said impression cylinder toward and from said type bed, and means to move said fingers with said impression cylinder toward said type-bed while a sheet is passing over said fingers, and to move said fingers from said impression cylinder when the sheet is to pass between said impression cylinder and said fingers.

18. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating type-bed, a two-revolution impression cylinder coacting therewith, an auxiliary type-carrier coacting with said impression cylinder above the latter, a feed board on which sheets are fed to said impression cylinder, fingers which support a part of the sheet between the front edge of said feed board and said impression cylinder, and means to depress another part of the sheet between the front edge of said feed board and said impression cylinder.

19. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating type-bed, a two-revolution impression cylinder coacting therewith, an auxiliary type-carrier coacting with said impression cylinder above the latter, a feed board on which sheets are fed to said impression cylinder, fingers which support a part of the sheet between the front edge of and a presser carried with said auxiliary type carrier and adapted to engage and to depress another part of the sheet.

20. In a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating type-bed, a two-revolution impression cylinder coacting therewith, an auxiliary type-carrier coacting with said impression cylinder above the latter, a feed board on which sheets are fed to said impression cylinder, fingers which support a part of the sheet between the front edge of said feed board and said impression cylinder, and a presser having a yielding part adapted to engage and to depress another part of the sheet.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

FRANK 'Ij. WOOD. 

